Xiamen the Beautiful:

8 days to discover it's charms.

This is a special tour with a special price :$2,300.00 which includes airfares and taxes.

You'll be staying in 4-star comfort, eating great food and seeing interesting places. But all at a relaxed pace so that you come home ready- for the upcoming Festive Season.

Day 01 04/11/16 Friday. Melbourne/Xiamen

Arrive Melbourne airport before 10;00 AM and check in at Xiamen airlines counter.

Fly direct to Xiamen, in southern China, via Xiamen Airlines in one of their all-Boeing fleet featuring the 787 Dreamliner. Leave at 12;05 by flight MF804 arrive Xiamen at 19;45. Upon arrival met by local tour guide then transferred to hotel.

Day 02 05/11/16 Saturday. Gulang Island.

Tour guide will pick up group at 09;00. Take the ferry to Gulang Island, a quick ride across the bay, and a great way to appreciate the city of Xiamen with its old and modern buildings. Gulang Island was once the foreign enclave, because Xiamen, then known as AMOY was one of the first Chinese ports to open to foreigners. You will see many former consulates, now used as boutique accommodation or coffee shops, old mansions, some in disrepair, and narrow winding lanes. The locals are known for their love of music, and we will visit the Piano Museum which contains rooms full of old, ornate pianos collected from all around the world. The island is also famous for it’s beautiful gardens. We will have lunch there.

Leave Island around 2;30 pm. On the way back to hotel tour guide will take you to walk around No. 8 Fish Market where you can see fish and seafood of all descriptions, and also other food, and household goods and snacks. The market is situated in an old part of the city. One of the many early Christian churches in Xiamen overlooks the busy market. The old historic Western-style buildings, strung with clothes lines and drying clothes provide a contrast to the alleyways and bustle. Return to hotel before 5;00pm, and go out for dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 03 06/11/16 Sunday. Visit a Chinese family

Today you will spend the whole day with a local Chinese family and learn about the lives of Chinese people. This will include lessons in cooking Chinese food, starting with shopping for the raw ingredients. This will be one of the tour highlights. The family selected will usually have four members, possibly parents and two children. Older children can have some English skills, which helps with translation. Our local English-speaking guide is with us the whole time. We encourage our participants to take small gifts to give the family- tiny koalas maybe, or chocolate. The "chef" of the family is given the job of demonstrating. If any of our members wishes to, they can contribute a dessert. At the end of the day, you may like to exchange email addresses, so that you can keep in touch with your new friends. (B,L,D)

Day 04 07/11/16 Monday. Ji Mei and Nanputou

Leave hotel at 09;00 for Ji Mei, a district of Xiamen. There you can visit Ji Mei University, see the Tomb of a famous Overseas Chinese Mr. Chen, who founded the university in 1918 and find out about Chinese migration to foreign countries. Jimei University has a broad range of courses, including teacher training, politics, marine engineering and aquatic science.

Pass through Xiamen university (Xiamen University looks just like a beautiful garden) en route to Nanputou temple. Before we explore the temple we will enjoy a special lunch at the temple’s vegetarian restaurant. Some reviews say this is the best vegetarian restaurant in the whole of China. It is top quality. After lunch, tour through the temple, which is one of the most famous in Fujian Province. It is backed by mountains and close to the sea, and dates from the Tang Dynasty ( 618-907), with several re-builds along the way. Pass by the large lotus pond, and then explore the ornate buildings, and see the 1000-armed statue of Guanyin, the female Buddha. This is still a Buddhist temple, so you may see or hear chanting monks and smell the incense.

Return to hotel later afternoon and enjoy the rest of the day by yourself. (B,L)

Day 05 08/11/16 Tuesday. Riyuegu Spa

Free in the morning and picked up by tour guide and have lunch in local restaurant. Then a special treat. We will visit a hot springs complex- Riyuegu, which is set in a beautiful tropical garden。You can swim in a variety of small and large pools, some scented, or medicinal, or have beauty treatments. As everyone has different needs, the cost is your responsibility, but charges start at around $30.00. Enjoy the spa and dinner by yourself and leave around 19;30. (B,L).

Day 06 09/11/16 Wednesday. Day tour to Tulou.

Visit World Heritage TULOU or "earthen building" area, which is 180 km drive from Xiamen. A tulou is a huge traditional communal residence found in Fujian Province, usually of a circular configuration surrounding a central shrine. The buildings can be compared to castles, in that they are constructed to be a defence against wild animals and enemies. One door only provides access and once inside there are at least three levels divided like tenements into homes for many families. There are many clusters of these interesting structures in the hills. We drive into the hills and see rural areas on our way to the tulou area. Leave at 08;00AM and return to Xiamen late in the afternoon. ( B,L)

Day 07 10/11/16 Thursday. Xiamen. Free day and flight home.

Check out after breakfast and leave luggage in hotel then free to do some shopping in Zhongshan Road for example. A good chance to do some Christmas shopping? Or go for walk around Xiamen city including Ring Road,etc. Or guide will have some suggestions. Enjoy lunch and dinner by yourself. Picked up by tour guide at 19;00 and transferred to airport. Leave for Melbourne via Xiamen Airlines flight MF803 at 22;30. (B)